Not so much that he's Catholic. Is that he doesn't have the southern/country/low class vibe that the GOP desperately needs. Romney already has the grown up college Republican vote. Especially in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, and Ohio he's gonna need red meat Take Back Our (White) Country crowd. Instead, he went for the best looking Ayn Rand fan in America. I've yet to see Ryan campaign, but I don't get the impression that he can get the job done.

He's cited Rand as the reason he got into politics. The Obama people could, if they choose, do a very good job of making it very clear to people exactly who Rand was.

Sure he has, but he's also not espoused Ayn Rand's ideology in total. It doesn't make any sense to call him a Randian.

Arguably not, but he's more Randian than I (and I would hope I'm joined in this by many or most Americans) am comfortable with for a Vice-Presidential candidate.

Is it just me or does this sound exactly like the "Obama is a socialist" argument that would be rapidly eviscerated on here as a right-wing fantasy...

1. If Obama had cited some prominent socialist thinker as the reason he got into politics that would be a much more sensible line of attack.2. There's nothing inherently unreasonable about saying that Obama's policies are closer to socialism than one is comfortable with. It's the idea that he's some sort of unreconstructed Marxist-Leninist or Eurocommunist that's prima facie absurd.

He's cited Rand as the reason he got into politics. The Obama people could, if they choose, do a very good job of making it very clear to people exactly who Rand was.

Sure he has, but he's also not espoused Ayn Rand's ideology in total. It doesn't make any sense to call him a Randian.

Arguably not, but he's more Randian than I (and I would hope I'm joined in this by many or most Americans) am comfortable with for a Vice-Presidential candidate.

Is it just me or does this sound exactly like the "Obama is a socialist" argument that would be rapidly eviscerated on here as a right-wing fantasy...

1. If Obama had cited some prominent socialist thinker as the reason he got into politics that would be a much more sensible line of attack.2. There's nothing inherently unreasonable about saying that Obama's policies are closer to socialism than one is comfortable with. It's the idea that he's some sort of unreconstructed Marxist-Leninist or Eurocommunist that's prima facie absurd.

Even calling him a social democrat would over doing it. He's to the right of your Milibands, your Hollandes and your Thorning-Schmidts.

There are obvious problems with calling Obama a socialist, but can't you people see the obvious problems with calling Ryan a Randite? I mean, would Ayn Rand have voted for TARP? Would Rand be against abortion? How about the auto bailouts?

It just doesn't match up at all.

And as for his early political inspiration, the same argument can be made for Obama since he has plenty of questionable ties from early in his community organizer days.

Not so much that he's Catholic. Is that he doesn't have the southern/country/low class vibe that the GOP desperately needs. Romney already has the grown up college Republican vote. Especially in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, and Ohio he's gonna need red meat Take Back Our (White) Country crowd. Instead, he went for the best looking Ayn Rand fan in America. I've yet to see Ryan campaign, but I don't get the impression that he can get the job done.

Either the "white working class" vote is more Democratic (or less Republican, alternatively) than the pundits give them credit for, or the Republicans take them completely for granted and really don't care about them.

If you'll vote for a Mormon, you'll vote for a Catholic. The bridge was already crossed. The OP is confusing though when it asks whether or not the "base" will vote for a Catholic. This is strange considering what a large segment of the base conservative Catholics are. Have you ever picked up National Review?

The more into politics a conservative evangelical is the more likely they are to be pro-Catholic, in politics or just in general. Hence for those who are even informed enough to be aware of his affiliation, it's probably a plus.

As for the nominally religious parts of the base, obviously it doesn't matter.